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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26466898">It Started With...</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Place2b/pseuds/Place2b'>Place2b</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Men's Hockey RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst with a Happy Ending, Crushes, Fluff, M/M, Ryan wants love, Unrequited Love</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 08:34:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,901</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26466898</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Place2b/pseuds/Place2b</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>For Erik, it started with Sam</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ryan Graves/Cale Makar, Ryan Graves/Erik Johnson/Samuel Girard/Cale Makar, Samuel Girard/Erik Johnson/Cale Makar, Samuel Girard/Ryan Graves</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>It Started With...</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey there! this is my first ever Fic! I got inspirastion by looking at prompts in a collection that I can't remember the name of but I really liked it and wanted it to be written. This is what happened! I hope it's readable. Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>For Erik it started with Sam, because as usual, it always starts with Sam. Erik would never claim to be the smartest or most observant guy on the team. He knows what to do on the ice and how to interact with the team, but other than that he’s mostly going through the motions. So when he’s faced with a small, curly-haired, french canadian his brain just kinda shuts down. </p><p>Sammy loves to hang out with him, they're seatmates on the road and on the planes, they bond over stupid stuff like who’s going to win the next fortnite tournament the team is going to have. It's not hard to get attached to Sam when he’s always in Eriks space. Like yesterday, it was an offday and Erik had planned on staying home, ice his shoulder, and facetime Tyson. But when he woke up he saw that Sam had texted him to see if he could come over. Of course Erik agreed, cause who was he to deny himself some time with one of his favorite people? A little bit around lunch time his doorbell rang, but he didn't go to the door cause he knew that Sam would just walk in like he always did. He turned around when he heard footsteps coming from down the hall to see Sam walking in and holding some takeout. Erik was struck by how soft Sam looked at that moment, dressed in an old t-shirt and some gym shorts, Erik had never seen anyone as beautiful as Sam. Sammy set down the food and went to give him a hug, he slid his arms around Sam, holding a little tighter than normal, but it didn’t seem to bother Sam at all. They grabbed their food and headed to the living room where Sam immediately grabbed the remote and turned on HGTV. Normally Erik tried to stay away from the channel but when Sam turned his head and smiled at him, he just ruffled his hair and sat down. They ate their food in relative silence, sometimes Sam would make a comment about how the Scott Brothers chose the wrong backsplash or something weird like that. Erik found it easy to settle into the couch and throw an arm around Sammy. He looked at his face for a bit, studied the way his hair fell into little curls around his ears, it must've been awhile since his last haircut. He looked at how Sammy’s dimples became slightly more pronounced when something happened on the TV, what he didn’t notice was how close they had gotten, Erik was able to move his arm from the back of the couch and settle around Sam's shoulders. He was fiddling with some of the hairs behind Sam ear when he turned towards him. Sam's eyes wider than normal and his smile became much more reserved, shy almost. They stared at each other for a minute, neither of them wanting to make the first move, Erik decided to lean in, slowly at first, as to not scare the man in front of him, he closed his eyes and finally met Sam in the middle. Sam’s lips are soft, kind of like the rest of him Erik thought, Erik raised his hands to Sam's face changing the angle to something more comfortable. Sam pushed his way into his space, making sure that he was the only thing on Eriks mind. Erik grabbed Sam's legs, slowly moving into standing up from the couch, he hesitantly broke the kiss to ask if Sam was okay, Sam nodded quickly, sliding out of Eriks arms, he grabbed his wrist and walked him into the bedroom. Sam climbed up onto the bed and sat on his knees expectantly. Erik closed the door and decided that he’ll jump in now and they’ll talk about it in the morning.<br/>
____________________________________________________________________________</p><p>Sam didn’t go to Eriks expecting anything, he just wanted to be around the older man, even if they saw each other almost everyday. There was something about Erik that pulled Sam in, it could be his power on the ice, his kindness to his teammates after a bad loss, it could be the way he’d chirp everyone out of a bad mood. There were so many factors to the way Sam felt. He had talked to Gravy about his crush, he could always trust Gravy to not spill anything to any of their teammates. He told Gravy about how he planned to woo Erik, how he would flirt with him, try to touch him for no reason, invite himself over sometimes. Gravy was a big source in Sam's decision to finally confess his feelings to Erik. One night sitting in Gravy’s hotel room, they were having a post game cuddle, Sam's head on Gravy’s chest when he confessed that the next off day the team had he was going to do it. When he said that Gravys had stilled from where it was running through his hair, but as quickly as it stopped, it started again, Ryan hugged Sam close and told him how brave he was, how lucky Erik would be if he returned Sam’s feelings. Sam got up after a few more minutes and bid Gravy goodnight and went back to his room to fully develop his plan to win Eriks affection.</p><p>The morning after Sam and Erik finally got together Sam woke up to a cold bed, he was nervous, did Erik think that last night was a mistake? They were both sober so Erik wouldn’t be able to play it off as a drunken mistake or not being able to remember the night. He sat up in the bed and grabbed his phone, he had a few messages from his parents and one from Gravy asking if everything went well. He told himself he’d respond when he found Erik. He got up and dug through Eriks closet until he found a sweatshirt and pulled it on. He ventured out into the kitchen where he found Erik standing at the stove, he walked up behind him, wrapping his arms around Eriks waist, pressing his face into Eriks back. He felt Erik turn in his arms before Erik dropped a soft kiss to his head. They sat at Eriks island, eating the breakfast that Erik got up to make. They talked about last night, Sam's cheeks heating up when Erik confessed to wanting him for a long time. Sam told Erik how he had his eyes on him since he was traded to the team, he told Erik how he always had plans for when they “spontaneously” hung out. He told him about how him and Gravy would talk late into the night about his crush, gushing about how Erik played, how he would giggle about Erik fighting for his team even if he didn’t have to. Sam reached out and grabbed Erik's hand, and told him how much he wanted him, how he would try to be okay if Erik only wanted to hook up now and again, his voice getting quieter the more unsure he felt. Oly to have his fears quickly squashed when Erik told him how he wants a relationship, dates, handholding, and everything. With his cheeks heating up again Sam grabbed Erik’s face and kissed him. They pulled away smiling at each other with blinding happiness.</p><p>Walking into practice later that day, Sam was smiling so much that he was sure that his face would be stuck like that. He headed straight to his stall where he found Ryan standing by. He turned his smile onto Ryan, he wrapped his arms around his blabbering about what happened and the conversation in the morning, he was so happy that he missed Josty and Gabe getting closer. Josty started laughing and slapped him on the shoulder, joking about him becoming jailbait and other stuff. When Erik finally stepped into the room Gabe was on him in an instant, pulling him into the hallway, most likely demanding what happened and how. Sam sat down by Ryan and told him how happy he was, he confessed to how scared he was when he woke up alone and that's why he never responded to his text that morning. Ryan just laughed and accepted his apology. Sam turned away to put his gear on and left to go onto the ice when he was done. When he got onto the ice Ryan slowly leaned back into his stall, his heart just a little more heavy than it was this morning.<br/>
____________________________________________________________________________</p><p> </p><p>For Cale it was Sam who pulled him in. As a new kid on a brand new team he was super nervous walking into the locker room for the first time. He walked behind the trainer trying to familiarize himself with the hallways that they walked down. As they approached the room Cale could hear laughter and yelling coming from inside. Stepping inside he saw Gabe Landeskog walk in front of him and the trainer, he shook his hand and led him around the room, introducing him to his new teammates. He was given friendly handshakes, some headpats, some pats on the back. But when they reached the corner of D-men, they stopped in front of Sam Girards stall. Cale held out his hand but instead of a handshake he was pulled into a tight hug. Sam let go and told him to call him Sammy and that he was super excited to play with him on the ice. Cale could feel himself blushing, his cheeks always gave him away, Sammy just poked him on the cheek and headed out to the ice. Cale stood frozen for a minute before he felt an arm on his shoulder, he looked at the arm before tracing it up to a tall vampire looking man, the man introduced himself as Ryan or Gravy and told him that he was going to fit in well with the rest of them.</p><p>Getting farther into the new season Cale found himself hanging out with more of the younger guys on the team. He moved into a new apartment a few floors away from where Tyson Jost lived. He was surprised really when Josty told him that they’d be living in the same building but he guessed that something must’ve happened during the offseason when Kerfoot was traded. He also talked to Sammy a lot more during the offseason, Sammy had confessed to his relationship with EJ that had begun last season. Cale was jealous, he was sort of hoping that Sammy was single, he won't lie and say that Sammy wasn't his type when he’s on a team with some of the prettiest people he’s met in his life. So instead of wallowing in his unrequited crush he focused on the other friendships in his life. He talked to the other members of the D-corps, he found a good friend in Ryan, they talked to each other almost everyday. They hung out in his apartment a lot when they were back in town for the preseason. They watched movies, played video games, and just enjoyed being near each other. Sometimes he asked Ryan about Sam and EJ, how they got together, what it was like before. Ryan always answered his questions, sometimes he seemed reluctant but he would respond every time. On the road he was assigned Sammy as a roommate. Those nights it was harder for him to push his crush away. Sometimes Erik would come in and join Sammy on his bed, Cale just had to watch them be together. What made things worse is when he started to get feelings for Erik too. </p><p>He noticed it after a loss on the road, they were shutout, nothing he did could help the team when they were playing. He felt useless, overwhelmed, and exhausted. As he was getting ready for bed Sam and Erik came in, Sammy noticed right away that he was upset, Sam turned to Erik and whispered something to him, Erik looked at him for a second before leaving the room. Sammy turned to Cale, grabbed his hands and led him to the bed. Sam pushed him down and crawled in next to him, he laid down and pulled Cale down until his head was on his chest. They stayed there for a bit before Erik returned holding some candy he had gotten from the vending machine down the hall. Erik climbed onto the other side of him and Sam, he opened a bag of M&amp;M’s holding a few out to the both of them. They laid there for a bit, just in the quiet room before Erik started talking. He told him about how nothing could’ve been done, how he played his best and that was all anyone could ask for, how he deserves a break. As Erik was saying this Cale felt himself start to tear up, the exhaustion finally catching up to him. As he laid in between his teammates he started to cry, not caring about what they would say or how he looked. They all fell asleep after a much needed cry. That night Cale dreamed of french words being whispered in his ear and strong arms holding him tightly.</p><p>After he finally came to terms with his feelings for both of his teammates, Cale thought it was only fair if he told Ryan. So when they were at Ryan’s apartment Cale told him everything. About how much he admired Erik and how his admiration had slowly turned into infatuation. He told him about the night in the hotel and his dream that seemed so real at the time. Ryan listened very closely, focused on everything that he was saying. Cale told him how much he wanted to tell them but was so afraid of being rejected that he was willing to just watch from afar. Ryan called him crazy, told him that they were close enough that if they didn’t feel the same that they wouldn’t treat him any differently. The more Ryan talked the more confident Cale felt. He decided that Ryan was right, they were friends, if there was a slight chance at them both liking him then he was going to go for it. He rushed to the door, putting his shoes on and thanking Ryan, he was going to do it, he was going to confess to Erik and Sammy.</p><p>As he left, Ryan grabbed his phone and dialed Tyson Barrie’s number, when he finally picked up, Ryan was already crying.<br/>
____________________________________________________________________________</p><p>For Ryan, it started with Erik. He always admired the older player, how close he was to every member of the team, how he wasn’t afraid of getting back up after a nasty hit. Erik always seemed to be smiling and joking around with everyone, he really was the sun in Ryans eyes. But he knew that Erik would never look at him the way he wanted. He was always being called up and sent down that he didn’t even really know if Erik knew who he was so he never tried to do anything about his crush. Eventually he learned to live with it because he knew that it could never happen. So when he was finally called up for good he decided that he would stay in the background for his own benefit. Sadly that didn’t last long because of the new addition to the team, Sam Girard. Sam was special to Ryan, he let him read his horoscope to him and didn’t laugh when Ryans didn’t have the best reading. Sam would go with him to pick up coffee even though Erik and the rest of the D-men said he didn't have to. Sam was always down to have a quiet night in, sometimes after wins they would go out with the team and just sit in the booth and talk about the other team. Ryan really felt like he found a best friend in Sam.</p><p>That is until he started to be paired up with Erik more often than not. At that point Sam would often be found with Erik, it was becoming more rare for Sam to be alone. But when Ryan did get to hang out with Sam it was great. Sometimes they’d stay at Ryans, watching a movie late at night, Sam would lean against him and somehow they’d fall asleep and wake up in the morning tangled together on the couch. Those mornings were always his favorite. He’d be able to see Sam slowly wake up, muttering in french before he became aware of his surroundings. Sam would always apologize and give him a big hug before he would head back to his own place. Ryan never minded though, it would help him get through his days, when he was feeling down he would think of what it would be like to be able to hold Sam whenever he wanted, what it would be like to live in the same place together, and see how he was after getting exciting news. So when the day finally came when Sam confessed his feelings about Erik, Ryan was caught off guard. He must’ve been projecting his feelings onto Sam, making him think that they could be together. He should’ve known better, Sam and Erik make much more sense that Ryan ever could. Resigned to his fate of being stuck in the friend zone he went about his life, comforting Sam when he was down about Erik, and trying not to reveal his true feelings was becoming much harder lately, some days he couldn’t bring himself to think about dating either Sam or Erik, it just made him more upset.</p><p>Ryans change in mood didn’t go unnoticed though. After practice one day Tyson Barrie stopped him and told him they were going to talk. Ryan agreed not wanting to cause any trouble. They got to Tysons house, and sat down at the counter. Tyson told him that over the past few weeks he’s noticed that he has been more down than before, he asked if this had something to do with his game or if it was something else. Ryan didn’t know what to say, he always appreciated Tyson and the way he was always attuned with his emotions, Tyson was always the one who knew what to say. So Ryan told him everything. From being gay to his unattainable crush on Erik to thinking that he and Sam were on the same page about their relationship, everything. At the end Tyson just looked at him before scooping him into a hug. He reassured him that Erik always knew who he was, even when he was with the Eagles, he told him how he thought that it was admirable of him to get the team coffee even though they could afford it themselves. He told him how most of the team had a betting pool on when him and Sam would get together because of how well they fit together. When that was revealed it just made Ryan more upset, he knew that him and Sam won’t work out, he’ll lose him to Erik, the other man should be lucky to have him. Tyson told him that whenever he needed to talk he would always be there for him. Ryan left that night and hoped that whatever happened it was for the best.</p><p>The day finally came when Sam and Erik got together, Sam looked so happy when he told Ryan about his night and what went down. Ryan tried to school his emotions, he was happy for them truly, he just couldn’t believe that the two people he liked the most in the world were happier without him. He watched as Sam ran over to Erik after his talk with Gabe and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before going out. He slumped down into his stall and closed his eyes, trying to get his emotions back under control. When he opened his eyes he saw Tyson looking at him with a look that said sorry. Ryan shook him off and went onto the rink, he could be professional about this, no one had caught onto his real feelings yet and they won't now.</p><p>Just when he thought that he was over crushing on his teammates, in came Cale. Fresh faced and excited to be on a team, Ryan knew it was only a matter of time before his heart would be broken again. There was no way that crushing on three teammates was going to be a good idea. But Ryan couldn’t stop it, he let himself fall into Cale. He couldn’t stay away, no matter how much he tried, Cale would always pull him back in. He found himself calling Tyson much more frequently, the more that he and Cale hung out the harder it was to hide his crush. He knew that he was setting himself up for heartbreak but he couldn’t bear not being around Cale. He would tell Tyson about how much they hung out, about all the inside jokes they had, about how Cale wasn’t afraid to hide how upset he was when with Ryan. He would tell this to tyson only to be told to be careful, to guard himself and to be cautious about his feelings. But something felt different about this. His feelings for Cale seemed to be stronger than it ever was for Erik or Sam. So when Cale came over unannounced one day he decided that he was going to confess, he was going to take his own advice and finally be happy, if he couldn’t have Erik or Sam he would have Cale.</p><p>Only before he could say anything Cale got up from the couch and declared that he was going to tell Erik and Sam how he felt, he said that Ryan gave him the confidence to confess. Ryan was in shock, he must’ve blocked out the conversation in the real world while he was hyping himself up for his own confession. When Cale left, Ryan called Tyson, in tears he told him how it didn’t work, how he was going to be alone and the ones he loved the most were going to be better off without him. All Tyson could do was listen, his heart broke when he heard Gravy’s voice crack for the tenth time in a sentence. He wished he could be there to hold him close, to tell him that it was going to work out in the end, but all he could do from the phone was listen.</p><p>When Cale, Erik, and Sam walked into practice a few days later holding hands, the only one not surprised seemed to be Ryan. Everyone was yelling and asking questions about how it happened or what was going on. When things calmed down a little bit Erik explained how Cale showed up at Eriks and sat him and Sam down and confessed to everything, how he felt, and how Ryan convinced him to talk to them. When Ryan heard his name he was surprised, he didn't think that Cale would tell them about their conversations. After practice Erik came up to Ryan, gave him a hug and thanked him, told him that without Ryan Erik would be busy pinning and feeling sorry for himself, doubting that he could ever be as happy as he was right now. Ryan blushed and pushed Erik away, saying how he didn’t do anything and that the three were lucky to have each other.</p><p>Ryan sat at home a few weeks later. Normally at this time he would either be talking to Sam on face time, or watching a movie with Cale, it seemed that when the boys were settling into their relationship, Ryan was once again alone. He didn’t want to call Tyson, he felt that he was becoming a burden on him since he was dealing with the trade and everything. Tyson probably didn’t have time to listen to Ryan cry about being left out again. As he sat on the couch he thought about what could’ve been if he had just manned up and told them all how he felt at the beginning. If he told Erik then they could have dates at the racetrack, Erik would explain to him how the betting works and laugh at him when he chose the slowest horse. If he told Sam then they could relax together at a nice bookstore, holding hands because no one would suspect them to be hockey players, they would sit by the fire in the winter, reading books that they got each other for Christmas. If he told Cale then their movie nights would become 100 times better, they would hold hands after reaching for popcorn at the same time, they would kiss during slow or boring parts. He thought about how if he joined their relationship how fun it would be at team parties, how the boys would make fun of them but could’t do anything about it because Erik was in charge of the fines and never would fine them. He thought about how when they would get home after a long road trip and just fall into bed together, Sam and Cale would be in the middle because they were the smallest, but Ryan would be able to hold them both at the same time, sometimes Erik would spoon up behind Ryan just because he could. The more he thought about it the more upset he got, he wanted that fantasy and nothing less.</p><p>Without realizing it Ryan grabbed his keys and headed over to Erik's house, where he knew all three of them would be. He got out of his car and stood on the steps, gathering all his courage he finally knocked on the door. Cale was the one who answered, he looked confused but Ryan was on a mission, he pushed past Cale and went to the living room where he found Erik and Sam on the couch, he stood in front of them and told them he had something important to say. Cale sat down next to Erik and Sam, all of them looking at Ryan.</p><p>With a deep breath Ryan opened his mouth and spoke, “I came here today to tell you all something, something important. I know how important you all are to each other but I think you forgot something. You forgot how important you all are to me. Cale, that night you confessed your feelings for Sammy and EJ, was the same night I was going to tell you how I felt, I knew it was a long shot but I have never felt the way I do about you before, you’re one of the most important people in my life.” Ryan paused, he looked at Cale who seemed to be frozen, with no one speaking he moved on.</p><p>“Sam, I think I loved you since the day we met, I felt invisible before I knew you, I felt like I would never meet someone the way you make me feel. You make me feel like I could take 100 hits to the head and still come out okay. You make me feel safe and calm, like we could sit in silence for days but still be able to speak to each other. I always wanted you to be happy, I went out of my way to make you happy, even if that meant giving you up in order to see you smile.” Ryan started to feel choked up but he turned to Erik and pushed through.</p><p>“Erik, I have loved you the longest, I always watched you from afar, knowing that I would never be good enough for you. I kept my distance to protect myself and my heart but in the end it was never enough. So I know that I’m nothing special, I won't be able to give as much as you all want, but I needed to tell you how I felt. I needed to make sure you all knew, because I can’t keep going like this, being in the background to a great love story like yours, I thought that if I can’t be a part of it I could watch it, but it’s too much now. I’ll understand if you guys never want to see me again but I needed you to know.” </p><p>Ryan was breathing heavy at the end of his speech, his eyes shut tight not daring to look at anyone. He jumped when he felt a hand at his chin, a thumb wiping away the tears that spilled out. He felt a pair of lips touch his before a group of arms came around him and held him tight. Ryan was terrified, he didn’t want to open his eyes or else it might disappear.</p><p>“Ryan,” he heard whispered in his ear. </p><p>He opened his eyes to see Erik standing in front of him, a toothless smile being sent his way, tears in Eriks eyes. Slowly he was pulled into another kiss, filled with promise and love. When he was released he was pulled towards Eriks room, he was pushed onto the bed, when he looked up he saw Cale standing by him, and Sammy shutting the door.</p><p>Ryan smiled, he took a risk and it was going to be okay.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey Guys this is my first Fic ever!!! I'm super bad at writing dialogue so that's why theres none till the end. I know it's not the best but I'm super happy with it. Pls comment and tell me what you think! If you want to talk my tumblr is<br/>@sparklygemsuniverse</p></blockquote></div></div>
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